


Ephemeral

by SomeCereals



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: GBF Valentine's Exchange, Gotta guzzle more coffee, I'm sorry for being laaaate, LuciSan to quench your thirst as we wait for March 7th, M/M, Sentimental Sandalphon, Shoutout to my bro Lowain's brief mention, The captain is whichever one you want them to be, it's bittersweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 09:58:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17958338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeCereals/pseuds/SomeCereals
Summary: He reaches--but the light slips through his fingers.





	Ephemeral

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for the GBF 2019 Valentine’s Exchange. My giftee is @TTR02_ on Twitter. Apologies for the delayed delivery; all my deadlines converged on the same date and I got swamped with work...that, and I kept writing and rewriting the same scenes over and over again (and watching and rewatching the same WMTSB scenes for inspiration). What can I say, I’m a perfectionist like (Faa-san). I hope you enjoy this bittersweet LuciSan… ;w; Happy belated Valentine’s Day!
> 
> P.S. I totally BS'd my way through describing what coffee tastes like. I hope...I hope it went well?

_As the supreme primarch toiled at his work bench, Sandalphon looked on with morbid curiosity._

_It seemed that, no matter what action he performed, Lucifer did so with grace and beauty. His nimble hands hovered over the tools of his trade, not wasting a single movement in the process of converting bean to beverage. The rich aroma of his brew, touched with a splash of sunshine, soon filled the room, taking up residence in the crevices of their shared space._

_He had lost track of how many times he had watched Lucifer go through the same motions for their tea time, but found himself mesmerized nevertheless. If Sandalphon had not known any better, he would have thought the act of preparing coffee as an intricate dance, and Lucifer as its sole star and Sandalphon as his lone audience member._

_The supreme primarch was nothing short of perfect._

_That was, after all, how Lucifer had been created: to be all that the others could not be. Omnipotent, wise, beautiful, humble, just. A paragon to all primals, the brightest star in a sky littered with hundreds and thousands of lesser planetary bodies._

_Sandalphon couldn’t help but stare, transfixed by the sight of Lucifer, the sunlight of the early afternoon dripping off of his wispy face and delicate fingers._

_In moments like these, the world stood still._

_There were no Astrals, no other primals. There was only Lucifer and Sandalphon. Just the two of them, alone in heaven._

_But moments were just that, and nothing more—temporary, fleeting, not meant to last._

_The world moved again._

* * *

 

_“It is done,” Lucifer announced, setting a steaming cup in front of the younger archangel. Though the supreme primarch wore his usual aloof expression, there was a spark of joy in his eyes. “Here you are.”_

_“Thank you. It smells great, Lucifer-sama.” Sandalphon remarked, allowing the perfume of coffee to envelop him. Today’s roast reminded him of a deep molasses—thick, with notes of caramel and sweetness._

_“I’m glad to hear that.” Lucifer gave a small smile before folding his wings and seating himself across from Sandalphon with a cup of his own. “I’ve been experimenting with a new blend, so I do hope it is to your tastes.”_

_“I’m sure it will be.”_

_After all, the perfect being never failed to deliver._

_And with that, Sandalphon brought the brown liquid to his lips—and was immediately taken aback by the taste coating his tongue. Hidden beneath the usual dark flavor was another layer of complexity he had not been anticipating. Something sweet and smooth cut through and yet mingled with the coffee, presenting a new mouthfeel._

_Sandalphon stared into his cup, his baffled reflection staring back at him._

_“Is it not to your liking?” Lucifer inquired, furrowing his brows in confusion. “Shall I prepare another pot?”_

_“N-No, of course not! The coffee is fine!” Sandalphon sputtered, scrambling to cover up his surprise.“It’s just...different than what I’m used to.”_

_“Different?”_

_“Y-Yes, but different isn’t necessarily...bad.” Sandalphon gestured vaguely to thin air, hoping for the right words to come to him. “It’s a nice change of pace.”_

_“I see. That puts me at ease.” Lucifer sipped from his own cup “Mmm. Perhaps I should alter the ratios for the future.”_

_“Everything you make is delicious. The next version will be even better than the last,” Sandalphon reassured him. “May I ask where the idea came from? This blend is very unique."_

_“Ah, yes. It is something I picked up from the sky dwellers.” Lucifer set his beverage down and laced his fingers. “Do you know what day it is on the mortal calendar?”_

_“I do not.”_

_“It appears to be a day of expressing gratitude. The sky dwellers—“ he pantomimed plucking a fruit, “they harvest a pod from a tree, and process it with sugar, milk, and fat. It becomes a solid mass called chocolate. They present it to their loved ones on this day.”_

_Present it to their loved ones..._

_Sandalphon felt the heat instinctively rise to his cheeks. He downed the rest of his coffee to hide his telltale blush, silently cursing the Astral that had failed to inhibit that part of his design._

_Lucifer continued his explanation, oblivious to his fellow archangel’s plight._

_“The tradition of the sky dwellers caught my interest, so I sought to replicate chocolate in my own manner. I simply altered the process to produce a powder form of chocolate. It can be mixed with hot water to form a drink. I believed it would pair well with coffee—thus the two were combined.”_

_A pause._

_“Sandalphon? Is something the matter?”_

_“A-Ah, it’s nothing. I wasn’t expecting to hear that as the source of your inspiration.” he brushed his stammer off with a scoff and changed the topic. “I was actually just thinking…sky dwellers really are a sentimental bunch.”_

_“Indeed.” Lucifer peered down into what remained of his coffee. “To love, and to be loved...the mere notion transcends anything we primarchs are capable of. Perhaps, one day, we may be able to understand the sentiments of the sky dwellers.”_

_“One can only hope. Though if you ask me, it’s all a bit nonsensical.” Sandalphon sighed. His lips absentmindedly met the rim of his cup, but they were greeted with no liquid._

_“It’s empty,” Lucifer remarked. “Would you like more?”_

_“That would be wonderful.”_

_He was graced with a generous refill._

_“You have my thanks, Lucifer-sama.” Sandalphon grinned, accepting his cup--which was now so full that it almost ran over._

_“Think nothing of it. It is always a pleasure to be in your company.” The supreme primarch set his coffee pot down and settled into a brief moment of contemplation. When he spoke again, he did so carefully. “Sandalphon...”_

_“Hm?”_

_“Thank you.”_

_Sandalphon nearly lept up in his seat. This time, he could not hide his stutter very well. It was not every day that an archangel that had yet to be assigned a role was thanked by the most powerful primarch of all._

_“What…what are you thanking me for?” he asked, knitting his eyebrows together in confusion. Had he recently done something worthy of being complimented for?_

_Lucifer simply offered another elusive smile._

_“Thank you for being here.”_

* * *

_What nonsense,_ he thought, shoving the memory away into the back of his mind--but stowing it away did nothing for the thumping in his chest, nor the stinging of his eyes.

The wind whistled in his ears as he soared, six wings outstretched. Though his body was light as a feather midflight, the weight on his shoulders was undoubtedly still there. He lifted his chin and carried on through the solemn gales.

The sky bore puffs of white and was dyed a rich aquamarine, as blue as the feeling that now welled up in his core and threatened to spill out.

He fought his blurring vision and forced himself to look at the blue beyond. A series of colorful islands dotted the cerulean expanse, brimming with life.

So, this was it.

The world that Lucifer has so lovingly observed from up above.

A world that was _his_ to govern now.

He swallowed.

Long gone were the days of tea time and talk, yet he often longed for the return to those days. How silly it was for him, an immortal being, to be so transfixed on those moments, moments that would never be had again. Even eternity had an end, it seemed.

_You fool. You absolute fool. Longing won’t bring him back._

His eyes watered again. He blinked furiously to banish his tears--he would never be able to live it down if he was spotted in such a state.

In that instant, a voice called out, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Oiii, Sandalphon!”

He tossed a glance over his shoulder. Lagging not too far behind him was the massive airship he had come to know as _home_ for the past few months. A girl in blue, a red dragon, and his cheery captain stood on the airship’s deck, waving their arms wildly at him.

_Children, the whole lot of them._

He groaned, but made his way over, landing on the deck with a soft _thump._ His six wings flickered and dissipated in a blink of light.

“You called?” Heavy sarcasm rolled off his tongue.

“Of course we did! Ya think we’re just gonna let ya stare off into space like that for the next couple of hours?” The red dragon quipped, shaking his head at Sandalphon. “Geez, who knew angels could be so air-headed!”

“I see that I’ve been summoned for nothing of great importance, then.” He frowned and turned away from the group. “If you _really_ need me, I’ll be in my quarters.”

“But Sandalphon! It’s lunch time, and we wouldn’t want you to miss it!” The girl in blue chirped, clapping her hands in delight. “There will be lots of yummy food!”

“I have no need for sustenance.” he reminded her, only to receive a firm pat on the back from their captain.

“One bite of Lowain’s chow and you’ll be rethinking that decision, buddy. Come on, there’s even a pot of coffee with your name written on it.”

“I…” Sandalphon hesitated at the mention of his favorite drink.

“I’ll take that as a yes!” The captain declared, taking the opportunity to seize Sandalphon by the arm. They let out a good-naturedly laugh and began dragging the archangel toward the mess hall. “Onward! To food!”

“To food!” The girl in blue and the red dragon chanted, following the captain’s lead. 

Truly, these mortals were full of nonsense, from now until the end of time.

Silly sky dwellers with silly ideals--these were the beings that the supreme primarch had cherished so.

He wouldn’t have had it any other way.


End file.
